


A Matter of Trust

by Awryen



Series: OTP: Moonlighting [16]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23907412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awryen/pseuds/Awryen
Summary: Gault finally decides to tell Mry'da and the crew a little bit about his past. A part of his past that has never sat well with him.
Relationships: Female Bounty Hunter/Gault Rennow
Series: OTP: Moonlighting [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1240973
Kudos: 5





	A Matter of Trust

**Author's Note:**

> I took some of Gault's conversations and messed with them a little bit. I made them ansgtier due to how these two have come along since Alderaan.
> 
> (if they seem a tad OOC, well...oh well. once you start heading down these kinds of paths, even someone like Gault can get serious and sappy)

[ **When the Future Meets the Past** ](http://dealersden.tumblr.com/post/42977169649/when-the-future-meets-the-past) **– Gault/Mry’da (After Hoth)**

_“Had your fill of crazies,_ yet _, Champ? I’m catching a_ chill. _”_

_“Come on. I’ve got an eighty-proof_ idea _of how to get_ warm. _”_

_“That’s the_ best _news I’ve had all day!”_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy gasps filled the closed off quarters. Abandoned bottles of Corellian Spiced Ale were strewn on the tables and floor around the captain’s quarters. On the bed, two figures were merged in the galaxy’s oldest of dances. And the dance was reaching its crescendo.

Mry’da threw her head back with a loud moan, her hands splayed out across Gault’s chest as she pushed down on him, riding out her orgasm as the man below her gripped her hips tight. He let loose a low groan as he bucked up into her once, twice, his cum warm inside her.

As they subsided in their movements, the chiss finally collapsed, falling against the devaronian, the both of them taking in much needed gulps of air. Sweat clung to their bodies as the room around them cooled. Soon, the only sound was from slowed breathing as they reveled in the afterglow of their lust.

Mry’da finally shifted, crawling off of Gault as he shifted enough to let her fall in beside him, but he didn’t stay by her side for too long. Hearing her sound of protest, Gault placed a finger over her lips as he got out of her bed and headed for the fresher, uncaring of his nudity. He grabbed a wash cloth, dampened it, and came back to the bed, intent on cleaning his lover.

He raised a brow at her, his sharp incisors gleaming in the dim light as he wiped her clean, teasing her slightly. This earned him a shaky squeal and a slap at his hand, to which he chuckled at her.

“No need for that turn into _glue_ , Ry. Now _scoot_ ,” he rumbled at her. She complied and after shifting a bit to get comfortable, Mry’da snuggled into his side, laying her arm across his stomach, lightly dragging her nails against his skin.

Gault twitched before he took her hand and placed it upon his chest, his own laying over hers.

They lay for a while, lost in their thoughts. As time went on, Gault’s own thoughts grew more and more troubled.

“…Mry’da?”

The woman lying next to him answered back drowsily, “Yeah, Red?”

“…do you _trust_ me?”

She blinked a few times to clear the hazy fog of sleep from her eyes before she lifted herself up a bit to look into the red eyes now boring into her own.

“Yes, I _do,_ ” she said, a little confusion lacing her tone.

Gault continued to stare into her eyes, searching them for sincerity. He found that she was telling him the truth.

“What’s going on, Gault?” she inquired gently, her own pretty face drawing into a worried frown.

“…I need you to _promise_ me something. I have something to tell you…and the crew. It’s… it’s personal. Just don’t" he swallowed, "…don’t use it against me. _Please?”_

Mry’da just looked at him, her confusion and worry strong now as he implored her, his eyes deep with sorrow and pain. She didn’t know how to react to this. Gault was never this serious about anything, but whatever it was he wanted to tell her, to tell them, it must be very important to him.

“…I promise.”

Gault let out the breath he’d been holding and pulled her closer to him, tucking her head up under his chin as he clung to her.

Mry’da was now nervous. Though he’d never mentioned anything to her, she was fairly certain he was harboring feelings for her. How deep they went, she wasn’t sure, but she was certain they were there. And if this was as important as he was implying…it might end up hurting her.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So…what do you all know about _Hylo Visz?_ " Gault asked one night, a few weeks after they finished their hunt on Hoth.

The whole crew was still shaken. The party that had been thrown in their honor for completing the two biggest Blacklist bounties had been summarily ruined by the Republic. Gault and Mry’da had stumbled into the aftermath and faced down another Jedi before Mako and Torian could even make it to the party's established room. They were still trying to lay low as they worked out ways to gain allies and were currently taking it easy after dinner that night.

Gault had mulled over how he was going to drop this bit of his past on them and he figured it was finally time. It was now or never, at this rate.

Mry'da walked in and sat down, a tumbler in her hand. Mako and Torian were sitting next to each other…a little closer than they usually were. _'Hot damn, did they finally stop with the tiptoeing around?'_ he mused. _'Good. Now he won't be trying to gain_ her _affections...'_

He glanced around and noticed that Blizz was no where to be seen, but that didn’t really surprise him. The jawa was always tinkering around with the ship, making improvements.

"I’ve heard the name, she was some big-time spacer wasn’t she?" Mry'da said, taking a drink from her glass.

"Wasn’t she responsible for some kind of blockade brake?" Mako said, adding on to what their boss mentioned.

Gault nodded to Mry’da, “You could put it that way, if you’re partial to understatement. And to what Mako was referring, she _broke_ the Mandalorian blockade at the Hydian Way. You know the one that _strangled Coruscant_ and dashed a full-scale Jedi assault?”

"I’ve heard stories about that woman. That brought shame to many of the Mandalorian clans that day, "Torian grumbled, glaring at Gault. Mako just took his hand, trying to calm him down.

"Hush Tori, I wanna hear the rest."

" _Pipe down_ , kid, it’s all in the past,” the devaronian growled, pulling a seat away from the table and sitting down in it. “Lesson of the story, don’t put up blockades; pisses too many people off. Anyway, where was I? _Oh yeah_...This wasn’t done out of the _goodness_ of her heart, oh no. _Credits_ were involved _, a lot of them_."

"Ooh, I like her already," their boss said, sitting forward and laying her arms on the table, leaning into them.

Gault paused, looking unsure…the next parts of his story were gonna put a strain on things...

_‘Here’s hoping she won’t break her promise…’_

"She was _quite_ the lady, "he said, a small sigh escaping. That had been an understatement…No one had ensnared him like Hylo…until now anyway. "You could say that run was the height of her career, but that’s only because she dropped off the scanners not long after."

"Really? That’s just so sudden, "Mako said, her face falling.

"That’s not the end of the story, Mako. _Patience_ ," he tsk’ed, then he continued, "Most think the Hutts were behind Hylo’s disappearance, but anyone who _knew_ her could tell you they’d have better odds winning a marathon."

He paused, a faraway look in his eyes. Mry'da was looking at him, a frown forming on her pretty face. 

_'…Shit.'_

"No, she’s still out there… _somewhere_."

"…you two were _together_ , weren’t you?" Mry'da asked, her face schooled in nonchalance, but he could see right through her. She was nervous. His boss was not a subtle woman, no matter how hard she tried to be. It’s what attracted him to her in the first place. He’d finally figured out her feelings had changed and they were making things much harder for him; no, for _them_.

"Hylo was my old partner… _more_ than that. That blockade run was the last thing we ever did together. Like I said, _a lot_ of credits were involved…"

All three of his audience members leaned in, Torian was already sporting an angry look. Mako was looking worried, her eyes shifting from the devaronian to her best friend, and Mry'da had a suspicious look of her own. Guilt was heavy in his chest.

_‘Mry’da may never look at me the same way again…'_

"When I saw the _opportunity_ , I took off and left Hylo holding the bag."

Silence dawned heavy on the group. And Gault could understand why. If he’d done that to someone he had claimed to care about, would he do the same to any of them? To _her?_

"You _left_ her there? Gault, _how could you!!_ She could have _died!!_ " Mako shouted, her face going red in anger. Torain got up and left. He’d heard enough.

_'Eh, he'd already made his mind up long ago regarding me. Didn't like the kid to begin with.'_

He looked over at Mry'da, trying to read her face. Her eyes had gone stone cold.

"You _double-crossed_ your own _girlfriend?_ " she said, her voice hard. He could see her trembling as she placed her tumbler on the table.

"Well… _technically_ she wasn’t my girlfriend when I double-crossed her…I was young and naive…and maybe a little afraid of _commitment_. I didn’t know what I had lost until it was gone," he said, his voice low, sad, and resigned. He glanced up at Mry'da. She’d turned away, her face stormy. Mako was looking between them, hurt clearly evident.

"The reason I’m telling this story…well, it needed to be said. And I need closure. I feel guilty for doing that to someone I had once loved, even if I couldn’t admit that to myself at the time. I need to make amends _.”_

_‘I’m also placing my very trust into your hands here, Mry’da. I would never do that to you, sweetheart…’_ he thought, too afraid to voice his thoughts aloud. He only hoped she would look between the lines.

Gault paused and drew in a deep breath, glancing up at Mry’da once more. Her glare was so hot it made him sweat. Fuck did he feel like a complete ass…whatever trust had been there was either battered or gone.

_“Listen,_ I found out that an old associate from that blockade run is still around and kicking. A mutual acquaintance," Gault paused. He had feelings for his current partner, he could admit that now, but there were still the smallest of embers left for Hylo…the difference was that he wasn’t sure they would ever become that roaring inferno from before. But he _needed_ closure. It was all up to Hylo…wherever she turned out to be. "I owe Hylo one last visit. If he knows where she’s been laying low all this time, I’ve _got_ to track him down."

He stopped talking, trying to let everything sink in. Mako was looking back and forth between the two of them, her face having gone from angry to disappointment. Mry'da got up and stormed out, her gait stiff. He placed his head in his hand, rubbing his temples.

"I _knew_ this was gonna happen…"he mumbled, feeling dejected.

"Then _why_ did you say _anything?_ Why didn’t you just keep it to yourself and _leave_ or something? I thought you _liked_ Mry'da!!" Mako, accused, standing up and glaring at him.

" _Because_ Mako, I had to. I lo-- care about Mry'da, alright? I have ever since she took me in and gave me a second chance at life. Any other bounty hunter would have killed me without hearing my plan," he said, frustration lacing his tone, "But, I _can’t_ start anything _serious_ with her until I get this sorted out. It’s been a heavy burden I’ve been carrying for nearly twenty years now. I haven’t been able to start any new relationships with anyone ever since, because I feel as though I’d be lying to them; to the _both_ of them."

"Then why not tell _Mry'da_ that? I know you two have _something_ going on. You need to _tell her_ what you just told me," Mako said, turning to leave and going off to find Torian.

Gault sighed and stood up. She was right; he should have been straight with her when he started to fall for her, set boundaries instead of continuing this beneficial friendship. So, he went upstairs to find her.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gault found her on the bridge, just staring out the view port. He felt even shittier when he saw the tear tracks on her face, but he had to talk to her. He cleared his throat.

"I’m sorr-" he began, but she cut him off

"So, am I _delusional?_ Am I _delusional_ in thinking that, at _some point_ , our little arrangement could have turned into _something more?_ " she interrupted, her tone bitter.

"No, you’re not delusional. What I should have done was come clean to you ages ago. You’ve never been all that subtle, my dear….How long have you been harboring feelings for me?" he asked, as he leaned up against the door.

"…Taris. Every time Jincoln shot me, making me _weaker_ as the challenge went on...you could have _left me to die_ , or _killed me yourself_. I wouldn’t have had the strength to stop you,” she said, her voice getting watery. She sniffed. “ _But you didn’t_. You stayed right by me the entire time. You even took care of me when the last shot nearly took me down…"

"My feelings changed then, but I didn’t realize it until we were back on board and on the mend. We’ve had fun and banter and even some rather serious moments before hand, but I chalked any feelings up to just being friends…instead of what they really were."

Gault winced, sighed, and rubbed at his forehead.

"Fuck… _I’m sorry_. I should have put a stop to it. Or a hold on it; _something_. At least until I got this squared away…"

"Do you even _care about me?_ " Mry'da asked, turning around to face him, her glowing eyes tearing over.

He blanched. " _I do_. I very much do, Ry. I have for a long time now. Every time you’ve kept me safe and didn’t just leave me to rot…"

" _Then why?_ Why do this to me? Lead me on into thinking this could be more? Finding out about some old girlfriend who you’re not even sure is still alive? Why _torture_ yourself like this?! Me?!" she shouted, springing up from her chair, tears streaming down her face.

"….because it wouldn’t be right or fair. I owe her an apology and at the very least, a clean break. And I owe you _everything that I can offer_ ,” he said simply, walking over to her. He placed a hand under her chin and sighed. “Right now? _I can’t offer you that._ "

"I can’t make any promises. If I do find her, the meeting and whatever comes of it will decide how things go from there. Until then…it’s up to you how we proceed. Do we stay with what we have? Or do we back off for now?" he asked, leaning down and placing his forehead against hers.

She wanted to throw him off, punch him, anything. But she couldn’t, he could tell. Instead Mry'da buried her face into his chest, finally letting all her frustration out in one big sob. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

When she’d calmed down, she pulled away.

"For now… _everything_ goes on hold. I will not put myself into a position where I can be hurt anymore. Everything is being left up to _you_ ," Mry'da whispered, her face sad. She leaned back in, gave him a small kiss and said quietly, " _I love you._ "

With that she left the bridge and headed for her quarters, the door closing behind her.

He watched after her, his lips tasting of hers and his heart was heavy.

_'She loves me…and Hylo probably doesn’t. She's right, why put myself through this…?'_

He growled, threw a punch at the wall, relished the pain, and walked back down stairs.

**Author's Note:**

> Gault continues to dance around the L-word, heh. He just doesn't feel that this is the right time to say it. And he won't for a little while yet.


End file.
